Wednesday

Homeless Nanny Needs to Address a Share

I started a job a month ago caring for an infant. Things are going well and the bosses are great. The baby is adorable.
The problem is in a few more weeks I will no longer have a place to live. I was staying with a relative that let me live with them for an extremely low rent which was perfect for me while I paid off school bills from undergrad and started graduate prereqs.
The hours I work for my new family leave me no time for a second job, and while the pay is fair it will not cover what I will need to pay in rent.
Do you think I would be crossing the line to bring up the idea of a nanny share to them?
I don't know what else to do that doesn't involve me quitting this job. - Anonymous

7 comments:

♥ Amy Darling ♥
said...

Sorry OP for your situation. :(

If you have a good relationship w/your bosses and feel 100% comfortable w/them, then feel free to tell them your situation. I am sure they will be sympathetic. Could you possibly do a live-in w/them? Since you didn't mention this as a viable option, I am assuming you do not think you can.

Sure, a nanny-share may be a good idea. Based on your circumstances, it wouldn't hurt to bring it up. They may or may not like this idea since not only will their child be exposed to another child's germs, etc...their child will get less one-on-one attention from you. However their child will have the unique opportunity to have a playmate daily and they may continue to keep you on as their nanny in the long run.

Sorry your going thru this. Can you find a babysitting job on the weekends? Can you afford to rent something if you have a roomate? I would check out the local college to see if anyone is looking for a roomate. Yeah it may not be the biggest place but think of it as temporay till you finish your school

I would say that if you DO want to suggest a share, come to them with a concrete proposal with an emphasis on benefits for them (cheaper, playmate for baby, etc). Shares are a pain in the ass sometimes for parents because you have to deal with the neuroses of another family, so if they can afford you without a share, not sure what motivation they would have to do one....

I don't know what you make, or your cost of living, but I'm not sure I would consider what they pay you "fair," if it is not enough for you to live on. If you are working full time, you need a job that allows you to cover your expenses. I have left jobs before with this explanation:

"I love working for you, your kids are wonderful, but I financially cannot make it work. I understand that you cannot pay more, but I also need to be able to pay my own bills."

People are mostly understanding. If nothing else, maybe they learn a valuable lesson in what a nanny is worth. If you bring up a nanny share, they will probably be receptive if they realize that this is the only way you can continue to work for them.

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